‘What if I couldn’t hear my twins’ cries?’ – Mama With Hearing Loss Shares Her Story

“I woke up in a panic, crying because I thought I had dropped one of my boys.” Mama of twins, Evelyn Goh, who was diagnosed with hearing loss at 14, shares her story of regaining her hearing in her 40s.

Evelyn Goh, 41, is a mum of 8-year-old twin boys, Seth and Sean. Life has thrown her many surprises, of which one was being diagnosed with bilateral, moderate to moderately-severe hearing loss at just 14 years of age. Her second surprise? Getting pregnant with twins when she was in her early 30s, with no history of twins in her family! Evelyn shares her story of how she’s navigated life and motherhood with hearing loss and a reliance on hearing aids, and what it was like regaining her hearing after getting cochlear implants (spoiler alert: it was nothing like what you see on those heartwarming television shows!)

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Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a 41-year-old counsellor working in healthcare, and I’m blessed to be mum to twin boys, Seth and Sean, who are turning 8 this year. They were the most wonderful surprise–especially since neither side of our family has any history of twins! It still makes me smile thinking about how shocked and delighted we were when we found out we were having two babies instead of one.

Can you tell us when you first started experiencing hearing loss? What were the earliest signs?

I first noticed something was different when I was 13, just starting secondary school. I kept wondering why everyone seemed to be speaking so softly all the time. Looking back now, I’m amazed I even made it through Sec 1 with my level of hearing loss!

It actually took my teacher to bring things to a head, though not in the gentlest way. I was seated at the back of the class one day when she asked me to close the door. I couldn’t hear her, and my classmate next to me had to whisper and gesture what I needed to do. My teacher ended up yelling at me for not responding and told me to get my hearing checked. While I was deeply embarrassed and upset at the time, she did have a point.

That incident led to my referral to NUH, where I was diagnosed with bilateral, moderate to moderately-severe hearing loss at 14 years old. I was then fitted with the CIC (Completely-in-canal) hearing aids. It was especially puzzling since no one else in my family has hearing loss.

What made you finally decide to seek treatment—was there a particular moment or realisation?

The COVID pandemic actually became my turning point. When everyone started wearing masks, I struggled–I hadn’t realised how much I relied on lip-reading until I couldn’t see people’s lips anymore! That’s when I started taking my husband’s suggestion to ‘upgrade’ to a cochlear implant more seriously. I’ll admit I was pretty hesitant at first, mainly because it involved surgery.

But with my husband’s gentle encouragement, I began researching and learning more about cochlear implants. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made–I absolutely love the speech clarity I get now, and being able to swim without worrying about my device getting wet is amazing!

What was it like raising twins while managing hearing loss, especially as a first-time mum?

While I was so looking forward to holding my boys in my arms, I was also terrified. The questions kept running through my mind: What if I couldn’t hear their cries and respond to them in time? What if I wasn’t good enough at being a mother? There’s no manual for motherhood to begin with, let alone one for being a hard-of-hearing mum with twins!

Were there moments that felt especially isolating or challenging in those early parenting years?

There were definitely challenging moments, especially when listening fatigue and sleep deprivation hit at the same time. I remember one particularly rough night–I woke up in a panic, crying because I thought I had dropped one of my boys. My poor husband Luke was jolted awake, and he had to motion for me to put on my hearing aids just to explain that our boys were actually spending the night at my parents’ place!

I had completely forgotten that my parents had volunteered to take care of them so we could get a full night’s rest. That incident really shows how exhausted I was–the combination of being a new mum to twins, managing hearing loss, and dealing with sleep deprivation was intense!

How did your hearing loss shape the way you connected or communicated with your children in their early years?

While I communicate fully verbally, Luke and I made a conscious decision to teach our boys some basic sign language. We had actually taken sign language courses several years earlier (this was before we got married) out of curiosity and a desire to better communicate with the Deaf community.

This knowledge turned out to be such a gift with our twins! Both Luke and I would incorporate simple signs while speaking–like signing ‘milk’ while saying the word to them. Once they picked it up, it was amazing. They could communicate with me even when I had my hearing aids off. It became our special way of connecting.

Did you have any support systems or strategies that helped you cope during that time?

We were incredibly fortunate to have such supportive families who rallied around us, helping with night feeds during the newborn period. Friends were generous with both their time and knowledge, sharing their experiences and tips with us.

But most of all, I’m grateful for my husband – he would often be the first to respond to their cries at night, heading to work exhausted the next day. Having this strong support system made such a difference in those early days with twins.

How did it feel when you first got your cochlear implants? Can you describe that moment?

You know those emotional TV moments where people get their cochlear implants switched on and immediately hear everything perfectly? Well, the reality is quite different! When my cochlear implant was first activated, about 2 to 3 weeks after surgery, all my brain could make sense of was this electronic buzzing sound.

It took dedicated work–weekly speech therapy sessions, listening to news and music on different channels and daily walks along the park connector–to train my brain to recognise different sounds. Because I hadn’t gone for long periods without hearing sounds, my recovery was relatively quick, and I was able to return to work in 3.5 months.

The interesting thing about cochlear implants is that you’re no longer hearing sounds acoustically but electronically–it’s a completely different way of processing sound.

What were some of the biggest adjustments—physically, emotionally, or socially—after getting the cochlear implants?

The improvements have been life-changing, especially during these times when mask-wearing is common. Because I rely less on lip-reading now, I can communicate more easily with people even when they’re masked up.

One of the coolest features is how my cochlear implant connects directly to my phone via Bluetooth–phone calls, virtual meetings, and watching videos have become so much easier! The sound streams straight into my CI, no earphones or headphones needed. It’s amazing how this technology has simplified so many everyday activities, especially in this era of hybrid work and online meetings!

How did your relationship with your children shift?

There’s a fundamental difference between hearing aids and cochlear implants. Hearing aids simply amplify everything, including background noise, which can actually make it harder to distinguish speech. My cochlear implant, on the other hand, breaks sound into frequency bands and sends precise electrical signals to the cochlea, mimicking natural hearing. This allows my brain to interpret a cleaner version of sound, especially speech.

In practical terms, this means I can now respond much more easily when I hear ‘MAMA!’ shouted across the playground! One of the features I really appreciate is the water resistance of my Kanso 2. With the Aqua+ accessory, water activities like having conversations in the pool and swimming with my children have become much more manageable. Most importantly, as a mother, I feel more confident knowing I can rely on both sight and sound to keep my boys safe. It’s given me an extra layer of security in parenting that I didn’t have before.

You’re now working as a counsellor—how has your personal experience shaped the way you support others?

When I first graduated from university, I was filled with self-doubt. I kept wondering: Who would want to hire a newbie, what more a counsellor who is hard-of-hearing? I’m forever grateful to the person who took a chance on me, hiring me as a programme coordinator. That opportunity allowed me to learn, grow, and develop in the field.

Now, after about 10 years in counselling, I’ve seen how my lived experience as a hard-of-hearing individual actually creates a unique bridge. I remember one particularly meaningful case where I worked with a deaf client. My basic knowledge of Singapore Sign Language helped create that initial connection. While I wasn’t able to do deeper processing work with them, that connection helped them feel less isolated and aware that there were resources available to them. I firmly believe that access to counselling shouldn’t be limited to hearing persons.

What do you want other parents, especially those facing invisible challenges, to know about resilience and connection?

Navigating the world with hearing loss is itself an act of resilience. Every time you advocate for yourself, learn a new way to connect, or adapt to a challenge, you’re modelling courage and flexibility. These are the traits that your children will benefit from.

Connection with your children isn’t just built on sounds or hearing them. What matters more is emotional presence, safety, and love. Tap on existing technologies to empower yourselves – baby monitors, text-to-speech apps, story time with pictures or tactile books, and sign language.

I’ve come to realise that while my hearing loss is a limitation in the hearing world, it has also opened me up to a richer life–one that is rooted in compassion, adaptability, and courage.

Thank you for sharing your story of resilience and adaptation with us, Evelyn! This interview was conducted with the help of Cochlear, a well-established name in implantable hearing technology, as part of World Hearing Day 2025 that took place on 3 March 2025. If you or someone you know suspects you may be suffering from hearing loss, check out this free survey to see if you may need to see an audiologist.

Read more That Mama interviews here.